Lowered costs, intrusiveness for McCutcheon bridge replacement

The burden of replacing a century-old Vankoughnet bridge has been slightly alleviated for both the Town of Bracebridge and an elderly resident.

In a report tabled before councillors on Tuesday, Dec. 4, public works director Walt Schmid said the town can trim about one third of the $860,000 in costs associated with replacing the McCutcheon Bridge by applying for a fund from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Though a new steel bailey bridge designated to replace the current 94-year-old structure was originally slated to cut 13 metres into a neighbouring lot, town engineering technologist Andrew Stacey confirmed last week that staff have managed to trim that intrusion down to about just seven metres.

“We have committed to looking at different options and doing some further investigations to see if we can pull that bridge farther away from the residents on Lambert Road, and we’ve been successful with that,” he said. “And now that we’ve done that, we’ll be proceeding with finalizing the preliminary design.”

The ministry fund, called the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative, will trim about $286,000 off the cost of the bailey bridge option.

The bridge has been a sore spot in Vankoughnet for a number of years, with council having decided in 2011 that the cost of repairs – estimated at $2 million – was too high. Stacey has said in the past that the bridge in its current state is too weak to withstand a major and destructive flood. The point was driven home yet again in the report Schmid tabled before council last week.

“The 2005 roads needs study identified the bridge in its existing condition does not meet Ontario provincial standards nor the Highway Bridge Design Code,” Schmid wrote. “The roads needs study concluded that the bridge has reached the end of its useful life.”

Early in the year, Oakley residents had rallied to the defence of 91-year-old Albert Seaton – who owns property next to the bridge – after they learned replacing the bridge meant moving the roadway closer to his front door and cutting into his front yard.

Despite an unwavering last stand from Oakley Ward Coun. Barb McMurray to save the bridge, council voted to go ahead with replacing the bridge last February. Though the decision had been made, Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith, Coun. Steve Clement and McMurray held a special meeting with area residents the following month to hear remaining concerns.

A number of other replacement bridge designs were floated by town staff, but none were cheaper than the bailey bridge option, which was the only choice with a price tag below $1.4 million.

As chair of the Tuesday meeting, McMurray extended her best wishes to Seaton, who she said has been hospitalized but is “coming along nicely.”